Unfortunately, there are a BUNCH of leaders out there who are blind and they are leading people towards THE PIT!

We have all heard the expression “It’s like the blind leading the blind” meaning nobody knows where they are going or what direction they are traveling.

Did you know it is of Biblical origin? It comes from our text today.

This remains a valid description of lost folks in our world today!

People are searching for leaders, and they get BLIND GUIDES!

People are following new age guides, scientists, mother earth, the almighty dollar, kabala, political correctness or ideology, false prophets, tin foil hat wearing doomsday guides, sports players, cults, etc all over our planet.

The blind leading the blind.

Regardless of the leaders cause or purpose (it doesn’t matter where they begin their journey at) without GODLY INTERVENTION the final destination is always the same: THE PIT!

Everyone is heading in some direction but no one is real sure where they are going.

So they begin to follow another person who is just as blind (TRUTHless/CLUEless) as they are, and the results are never positive.

One by one our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers are being led off the cliff and into the great pit by blind leaders.

Oh, these blind guides may think they are heading in the right direction but they have been fooled, tricked into buying into a lie straight from the very pit they are going down.

Christians should be LEADERS! Not necessarily CEO’s of faith, but guides calling out to the lost and lifting up Jesus Christ so they might be drawn away from the wrong road they are traveling and onto the path He has already prepared for them.

We Christians should be guiding people away from the pit! Not giving them reasons or excuses for continuing towards the precipice.

Yet, it seems every day we hear or see a Christian doing some very UNCHRISTIAN things and people are TURNED AWAY from truth and towards another lie.

I think we see 5 steps to help in this process of safely guiding people to Jesus.

We should know that there is a pit that we were heading for ourselves until someone led us to safety.

Don’t Judge

Do not judge a lost person by their lost condition.

They are lost. Do not be surprised they are off course.

To JUDGE means to “try impartially and in an open court, hearing all the evidence and arguments.”

You are a sinner and not truly capable of impartiality

We do not try in open court, we judge in our closed hearts and minds

We have all been judged by God and found guilty.

We are WAY TOO QUICK to judge anyone and everyone, usually by OUR STANDARDS – not Gods

We are QUICK TO IGNORE our faults

We do not know their life – we do not want to hear all the evidence.

Truth usually messes up our narrative!

DON’T JUDGE – GUIDE! Lead them to Forgiveness and LIFE

Do not Condemn

To condemn means to pronounce guilty and sentence to punishment

If you are not able to properly judge you certainly cannot pronounce guilt and punishment.

There is WAY TOO MUCH CONDEMNATION in our world

Even Christ did not come to condemn – why would you?

DON’T CONDEMN – LEAD THEM to Jesus so their eternal condemnation can be removed! LEAD THEM TO FREEDOM!!!

Forgive.

Grant pardon for an offense, debt, transgression, etc.

To give up all claim on account, absolve

Cease to feel resentment against

To cancel and indebtedness or liability

Forgiveness is not easy

Forgiveness cost Jesus His life – but He gave it for YOU!

We can model Christ by forgiving those who have repented

To present voluntarily and without excepting compensation

We might give, but, like Sheldon, we expect reciprocity

You gave me a gift worth $90 now I am in your debt for $90

Give generously. Give all you can

We have been given so very much

Leadership required giving

The GREATEST LEADER is not an arrogant narcissist!

The GREATEST LEADER is a SERVANT

If you judge and condemn your hypocrisy will be revealed and you will be judged and condemned

If you forgive and give you will receive the same in abundance

You will not only be judged by your actions, you will receive what you have sown.